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Best 0% APR Credit Cards

You could avoid paying credit card interest until 2021! Check out our picks for top 0% APR credit cards, some of which are from our partners, if you want to pay off debt faster or defray the cost of a large purchase without paying an annual fee.

Key Scores:

Highlights

No Late Fees, No Penalty Rate, and No Annual Fee... Ever

0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 21 months from date of first transfer. All transfers must be completed in first 4 months. After that, the variable APR will be 16.74% - 26.74%, based on your creditworthiness

0% Intro APR on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 16.74% - 26.74%, based on your creditworthiness

If you transfer a balance with this offer, after your 0% Intro purchase APR expires, both new purchases and unpaid purchase balances will automatically accrue interest until all balances, including your transferred balances, are paid in full

There is a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater

The same great rate for all balances, after the introductory period

Save time when you call with fast, personal help, 24 hours a day – just say "representative"

Enjoy the convenience of setting up your own bill payment schedule on any available due date throughout the month

Key Scores:

Highlights

INTRO OFFER: Discover will match ALL the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year, automatically. There's no signing up. And no limit to how much is matched.

Earn 5% cash back at different places each quarter like gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, Amazon.com and more up to the quarterly maximum, each time you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - automatically.

Redeem cash back any amount, any time. Rewards never expire.

100% U.S. based customer service.

Get your free Credit Scorecard with your FICO® Credit Score, number of recent inquiries and more.

Get an alert if we find your Social Security number on any of thousands of Dark Web sites.* Activate for free.

Our Bottom Line

One card to rule them all is the name of the game here. This offer includes unlimited 1.5% cash back and an innovative bonus of 3% cash back on first year purchases ($20,000 spending cap), plus a long 0% intro APR offer.

Our Bottom Line

One of the highest rewards-earning gas and supermarkets cards we've come across with no annual fee. The big welcome bonus and 0% intro APR offer round out a diverse feature set that makes the card worth considering for a one-card wallet.

Our Bottom Line

This may be the most versatile and flexible cash-back card on the market. The long 0% intro APR makes the offer hard to pass up, especially if you're wanting to keep a one-card wallet that packs in a rich rewards program.

What we Like:

Key Scores:

Intro APR: Purchases: 0%, 15 billing cyclesBalance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days

Highlights

No annual fee

$200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening

Earn 3% cash back on gas or your choice of one of five other popular categories, 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) and unlimited 1% on all other purchases

0% Introductory APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 15.99% - 25.99% Variable APR will apply. A 3% fee (min $10) applies to all balance transfers

No expiration on rewards

If you're a Preferred Rewards member, you can earn 25% - 75% more cash back on every purchase

What we Like:

Key Scores:

5.0⁄ 5Perks

2.5⁄ 5Fees

4.5⁄ 5APR

Perks

5.0/5

Fees

2.5/5

APR

4.5/5

Annual Fee: $0

Regular APR: 15.99-25.99%* (Variable)

Intro APR: Purchases: 0%, 18 monthsBalance Transfers: 0%, 18 months

Highlights

0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 18 months from date of first transfer. All transfers must be completed in first 4 months. After that the variable APR will be 15.99% - 25.99%, based on your creditworthiness*

If you transfer a balance with this offer, after your 0% Intro purchase APR expires, both new purchases and unpaid purchase balances will automatically accrue interest until all balances, including your transferred balance, are paid in full

There is a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater

Access to VIP packages to concerts, sporting events, and more with access to Citi® Private Pass®

Our Bottom Line

This offer is currently unavailable on site and card details may be out of date -- One of the few remaining balance-transfer cards that include an intro $0 balance transfer fee. Add in the premium rewards and welcome bonus, and it's hard to ignore.

Get our latest tips and uncover more of our top picks to help you conquer your money goals

One of the best reasons to apply for a new credit card is to get a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers, which can save you hundreds of dollars compared to carrying a balance at a typical APR of 18% or more. Whether you need to finance a large purchase or transfer an existing credit card balance to save on interest, 0% interest credit cards offer more value than most credit cards on the market today.

How we picked the winners

We think the best credit cards share some common traits, including long 0% offer promos, minimal or no balance transfer fees, no annual fee, and access to a credit score to help monitor your credit. All four of these factors are essentials and we don’t think there’s a place for cards on this list that don’t rank well in all four.

Why you can trust me

I’m a Certified Financial Planner® who has published more than 4,500 articles on various personal finance and investment topics, and my work has been syndicated on news outlets such as MSN Money, USA Today, CNN Money, and more. In addition, I’ve been a credit card user for more than 20 years and have a extensive firsthand experience with credit card rewards, fee avoidance, and more.

What is a 0% APR

An annual percentage rate (APR) measures the interest charged for carrying a balance on a credit card. When a card offers a 0% intro APR, it means that the card will not charge you interest on balances for a certain period of time (often six to 21 months) after account opening.

There are two types of 0% APRs offered by credit cards today:

0% intro APRs on purchases

0% intro APRs on balance transfers

Purchase balances refer to balances you incur by making purchases with the card. Balance transfer balances occur when you move a balance from one credit card to another. So, depending on whether you want to finance new purchases, or refinance existing credit card debt, you’ll want to be on the lookout for either a 0% purchase APR, 0% balance transfer APR, or a card that offers both.

How 0% purchase APRs work

When a card offers a 0% APR on purchases, that means it doesn’t charge interest on any balances you charge to the card, whether it’s paying for gas or buying a new refrigerator. This is why 0% credit card offers are particularly popular with people who have a purchase they’d like to finance.

Of course, the catch is that if you open a card that offers a 15 month 0% APR, any balances that remain after the 15 month period will begin to accrue interest at the card’s standard rate. Since credit cards typically carry interest rates in the double digits, you’ll want to be careful to pay down balances as quickly as possible to make the most of the 0% APR promo period. This is worth repeating: Cards that offer a 0% intro APR are not credit cards with no interest forever -- the 0% APR period is temporary.

Many people use 0% intro APRs to pay for unexpected car repairs, expensive medical bills, or other large charges that are more digestible when broken down into smaller monthly payments. Note, however, that a 0% intro APR doesn’t mean you won’t have to make payments. You’ll need to make at least the minimum payment (typically 3% of the balance) to avoid paying late fees or other penalties, and in order to avoid interest altogether, you'll need to pay the balance in full before the 0% intro APR period expires.

How to save money with a 0% purchase APR

A 0% intro APR on purchases can potentially save you hundreds or thousands of dollars in interest compared to carrying the same balance at an ordinary APR of 18%. The table below shows you how much you would save in interest by paying off a balance during a 0% intro APR period rather than paying off the same balance over the same time at an 18% APR.

Time to pay off a $5,000 balance

Savings from 0% APR vs. 18% APR

6 months

$265.76

9 months

$382.44

12 months

$500.80

15 months

$620.83

18 months

$742.52

21 months

$865.88

Data source: Author's calculations.

The amount you save varies based on the length of the 0% APR offer. Credit cards with no interest for 18 months offer more value than cards that offer 0% APRs for just six months, as the table above illustrates. But as long as you pay off the balance before the 0% intro APR period expires, you shouldn’t pay a dime in interest or fees.

How you can save money with a 0% balance transfer APR

If you have expensive credit card debt, it may pay to move the balance to a card that offers a 0% intro APR on balance transfers. That’s because having a 0% intro APR allows you to pay down the balance faster since every payment is going toward paying down the balance, rather than paying pesky interest charges.

Paying off a $5,000 balance over…

Monthly payment at 0% APR

Monthly payment at an 18% APR

Total savings

6 months

$833.33

$877.63

$265.76

9 months

$555.56

$598.05

$382.44

12 months

$416.67

$458.40

$500.80

15 months

$333.33

$374.72

$620.83

18 months

$277.78

$319.03

$742.52

21 months

$238.10

$279.33

$865.88

Data source: Author's calculations.

One of the best things about a 0% intro APR balance transfer offer is that it can save you money in interest while freeing up some of your monthly budget. Note that in our example above, a cardholder who moves a $5,000 balance at an 18% APR to a card with a 0% balance transfer offer can reduce their monthly payments by roughly $40 and save hundreds of dollars in interest along the way.

What to know about balance transfer fees

One catch with balance transfers is that most cards charge a balance transfer fee to move a balance to them. The typical fee is equal to $5 or 3% of the amount transferred, whichever is greater, although others have fees that go up to 5% of the amount transferred. Be sure to read the fine print, especially in regards to fees, before transferring a balance.

The fee is added to the balance transfer, so if you move a $5,000 balance from one card to another at a 3% fee, the card you transferred the balance to will have a balance of $5,150 ($5,000 transfer plus a $150 fee). So, while you won’t pay interest during the promo period, you might pay a small amount in balance transfer fees to move the balance.

Paying a balance transfer fee can be justified by the amount you save in interest, so in many cases a balance transfer can be worthwhile even with a seemingly high fee. As a hypothetical example, you’d save more than $865 in interest if you move a $5,000 balance at an 18% APR to a card with a 21 month, 0% interest offer. Even after a 3% fee ($150), you’d still save more than $715 by moving your balance.

0% APRs -- What’s the catch?

You have to be careful if you decide to use a card for balance transfers and purchases. That’s because some cards only offer 0% intro APRs on balance transfers, which means if you use the card for purchases, too, you could end up with a scenario where you build up high-interest purchase debt while your monthly payments go toward paying down the 0% APR balance.

You can avoid this problem by picking a card that offers 0% intro APRs on purchases and balance transfers for the same amount of time. This is by far the easiest solution since many cards offer exactly that.

If your ideal card only offers a 0% intro APR on one type of balance, then there are two ways to avoid racking up a purchase balance and paying interest on it:

Don’t use the card for another type of balance until the 0% APR balance is paid off, or until the 0% interest period expires.

When your statement arrives, pay an amount equal to the minimum payment plus the high interest balance outstanding. To illustrate this point, suppose you have a $4,000 balance transfer at a 0% APR and a $500 purchase balance at an 18% APR. If your minimum payment that month is $150, you’ll want to pay $650 (minimum payment plus the $500 purchase balance) to avoid letting the purchase balance compound at a high interest rate.

Under the CARD Act of 2009, credit card companies are required by law to apply payments in excess of the minimum payment towards your highest APR balance. Knowing this rule can help you avoid building up high-interest balances while paying down a balance at a 0% intro APR.

Why you should say “no” to 0% APR store cards

Many retailers offer 0% intro APRs on store credit cards, but they rarely hold up to offers on ordinary general purpose credit cards (the technical name for credit cards that can be used anywhere). While 0% intro APRs on store cards may appear to match the offers you see on ordinary credit cards, there are a handful of reasons why it’s often a good idea to pass on store cards.

Lower credit limits -- Store cards typically have lower credit limits since they’re meant to be used only at one store. Using store cards with low limits can harm your credit score, since carrying a balance greater than 30% of your credit limit is known to have a negative impact on your credit score.

Shorter 0% intro APR periods -- While the best general purpose credit cards offer more than a year of 0% purchase APRs, store cards commonly offer intro periods that span only a few short months.

No 0% balance transfers -- We’ve never seen a true store card offer a 0% APR on balance transfers, or balance transfers at all, for that matter.

Higher ordinary interest rates -- When the 0% intro APR expires, a store card will typically revert to a higher interest rate than a general purpose credit card. Surveys show that more than half of store cards charge an APR in excess of 25%, well above the rate charged on general purpose credit cards.

Retroactive interest -- Also known as “deferred interest,” store cards can charge you interest on the entirety of your balance (even the portion you paid off!) if you fail to pay off all of the balance during the 0% intro APR period. General purpose credit cards (the cards on this list) don’t charge retroactive interest on balances. Instead, no interest credit cards that can be used at more than one store only charge interest on balances that remain after the 0% APR period expires.

Less utility -- A store card can generally only be used for purchases at one retailer, making it an unworkable solution for borrowing money to make multiple purchases from multiple vendors. It’s much easier to manage one card than several, making general purpose credit cards a “one-size-fits-all” solution to financing several major purchases.

How to use a 0% APR card offer

A few best practices can help ensure that you get the most value from a 0% intro APR and avoid costly mistakes (such as carrying a balance after the promo period expires). Here’s how to use a 0% intro APR card for best results.

Ask when the 0% intro APR expires -- Call or send a secure message to your card company to find out the exact date when the 0% intro APR on your credit card will end and make a note of it. Seek to pay off your balance in full by this date. Don’t make the mistake of carrying a balance after the 0% period expires simply because you weren’t aware of the cutoff date.

Avoid fees -- Some balance transfer cards waive balance transfer fees when you make a balance transfer within 60 days of account opening. To get the most benefit from these offers, you should make any balance transfers as soon as possible. Some cards let you make a balance transfer request at the time of application, ensuring that your balance transfer will be free of fees.

Be smart about payments -- Remember, only payments in excess of your minimum payment will be applied to the highest APR balance. Therefore, if a card only offers a 0% intro APR on one type of balance (purchases or balance transfers), then make sure to pay an amount equal to your minimum payment plus the high APR balance each month. You’ll avoid a situation where you pay down a 0% intro APR balance while letting another type of balance build up at a double-digit APR.

Keep your card open and active -- After the 0% intro APR period ends, it’s smart to use your card for a purchase every few months so it continues to report your good payment history to the credit bureaus. Having a card with a long history of 100% on-time payments can help boost your score over 800, a level where you’ll qualify for the best rates and terms on virtually any kind of financing.

Weigh the value of rewards -- While rewards cards may give you cash back or travel value for using the card to make purchases, the longest 0% intro APRs are typically offered by cards that do not have rewards programs. Forgoing a rewards card may be smart if you need the extra time to pay down a balance before interest accrues.

The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Mastercard and Visa. The Motley Fool recommends Amex. We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule. If we wouldn’t recommend an offer to a close family member, we wouldn’t recommend it on The Ascent either. Our number one goal is helping people find the best offers to improve their finances. That is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.